Dental flossing device

Abstract

The dental flossing device has an elongate handle with a removable and disposable floss holder at its distal end. A slide is installed along the handle, with the slide reciprocating axially along the handle when manipulated by a user of the device. The slide operates a flexible cable that in turn reciprocates the floss holder orthogonally relative to the elongate axis of the handle. Upper and lower bite pads are installed upon the distal end of the handle, with the user of the device gripping the pads, and thus the distal end of the device, between the teeth. The floss extending across the floss holder is then reciprocated between adjacent teeth by operating the slide on the handle. The device can also include a timer and alarm to notify the user of the appropriate time to be spent flossing, and to remind the user to floss daily.

I claim: 
     
       1. A dental flossing device, comprising:
 an elongate handle having a handgrip end and a floss holder end opposite the handgrip end; 
 an elongate, flexible member reciprocatingly disposed in conjunction with the handle, the flexible member having an actuator portion, an actuator end, a distal portion opposite the actuator portion, and a distal end opposite the actuator end, the distal portion of the flexible member being generally orthogonal to the actuator portion of the flexible member; and 
 a floss holder removably disposed upon the floss holder end of the handle, the floss holder adapted to have a strand of dental floss positioned in association with the floss holder, the floss holder being removably attached to the distal end of the flexible member, selective forward and reverse movement of the flexible member selectively reciprocating movement of the floss holder and the dental floss relative to the floss holder end of the handle. 
 
     
     
       2. The dental flossing device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an upper bite pad disposed upon an upper surface of the handle at the floss holder end of the handle; and 
 a lower bite pad disposed upon a lower surface of the handle at the floss holder end of the handle. 
 
     
     
       3. The dental flossing device according to  claim 2 , wherein the upper bite pad comprises:
 a fixed bite pad portion; and 
 a removable floss holder lock portion. 
 
     
     
       4. The dental flossing device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a display disposed upon the handle to display information including at least one of time information or alarm information; and 
 timer and alarm controls disposed upon the handle to selectively activate and deactivate a timer and an alarm positioned in conjunction with the handle. 
 
     
     
       5. The dental flossing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the floss holder and the dental floss associated with the floss holder are adapted for disposal after use. 
     
     
       6. The dental flossing device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a slide receptacle disposed on the handle; and 
 a slide disposed within the slide receptacle, the slide being attached to the actuator end of the flexible member. 
 
     
     
       7. The dental flossing device according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the slide receptacle has opposed pairs of first and second lateral shoulders, 
 a slide pin receptacle is respectively disposed between each corresponding pair of opposed first and second lateral shoulders of the slide receptacle, the first and second lateral shoulders and the slide pin receptacles defining slide limit stops, and 
 the slide has opposed lateral pins selectively retracting therein and extending therefrom, the opposed lateral pins when selectively engaging the respective slide pin receptacles correspondingly limit a range of travel of the slide in the slide receptacle. 
 
     
     
       8. A dental flossing device, comprising:
 an elongate handle having a handgrip end, a floss holder end opposite the handgrip end, an upper surface, and a lower surface opposite the upper surface; 
 a slide receptacle disposed on the handle; 
 a slide disposed within the slide receptacle; 
 a floss holder removably disposed upon the floss holder end of the handle, the floss holder extending generally orthogonally from the lower surface of the floss holder end of the handle, the floss holder adapted to have a strand of dental floss positioned in association with the floss holder, the floss holder adapted for reciprocating movement relative to the floss holder end of the handle; 
 an upper bite pad disposed upon the upper surface of the handle at the floss holder end of the handle; 
 wherein the upper bite pad includes a fixed portion and a removable floss holder lock portion; and 
 a lower bite pad disposed upon the lower surface of the handle at the floss holder end of the handle. 
 
     
     
       9. The dental flossing device according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 an elongate, flexible cable reciprocatingly disposed in conjunction with the handle, the flexible cable having an actuator portion, an actuator end, a distal portion opposite the actuator portion, and a distal end opposite the actuator end, the distal portion of the flexible cable being generally orthogonal to the actuator portion of the flexible cable, the floss holder being removably attached to the distal end of the flexible cable, selective movement of the flexible cable selectively reciprocating movement of the floss holder and dental floss relative to the floss holder end of the handle. 
 
     
     
       10. The dental flossing device according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a display disposed upon the handle to display information including at least one of time information or alarm information; and 
 timer and alarm controls disposed upon the handle to selectively activate and deactivate a timer and an alarm positioned in conjunction with the handle, 
 wherein the alarm generates at least one of a visual alarm or an audible alarm. 
 
     
     
       11. The dental flossing device according to  claim 8 , wherein the floss holder and the dental floss associated with the floss holder are adapted for disposal after a single use. 
     
     
       12. The dental flossing device according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the slide being attached to a flexible cable, the flexible cable being in communication with the floss holder, selective movement of the flexible cable by the slide selectively reciprocating movement of the floss holder relative to the floss holder end of the handle. 
 
     
     
       13. The dental flossing device according to  claim 12 , wherein
 the slide receptacle has opposed pairs of first and second lateral shoulders, 
 a slide pin receptacle is respectively disposed between each corresponding pair of opposed first and second lateral shoulders of the slide receptacle, the first and second lateral shoulders and the slide pin receptacles defining slide limit stops, and 
 the slide has opposed lateral pins selectively retracting therein and extending therefrom, the opposed lateral pins when selectively engaging the respective slide pin receptacles correspondingly limit a range of travel of the slide in the slide receptacle. 
 
     
     
       14. A dental flossing device, comprising:
 an elongate handle having a handgrip end, a floss holder end opposite the handgrip end, an upper surface, and a lower surface opposite the upper surface; 
 an elongate, flexible member being reciprocatingly disposed in association with the handle, and the elongate, flexible member having an actuator portion, an actuator end, a distal portion opposite the actuator portion, and a distal end opposite the actuator end, the distal portion of the flexible member being generally orthogonal to the actuator portion of the flexible member; 
 a floss holder extending generally orthogonally from the lower surface of the floss holder end of the handle, the floss holder adapted to have a strand of dental floss positioned in association with the floss holder, the floss holder adapted for selective reciprocating movement of the floss holder and the dental floss relative to the floss holder end of the handle; 
 wherein the floss holder being adapted to be removably attached to the flexible member; 
 a display disposed upon the handle to display information including at least one of time information or alert information; and 
 timer and alarm controls disposed upon the handle to selectively activate and deactivate a timer and an alarm positioned in conjunction with the handle. 
 
     
     
       15. The dental flossing device according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the floss holder further adapted to be removably attached to the distal end of the flexible member, and the flexible member selectively reciprocating movement of the floss holder and the dental floss relative to the floss holder end of the handle. 
 
     
     
       16. The dental flossing device according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a first upper bite pad portion fixedly disposed upon the upper surface of the handle at the floss holder end of the handle; 
 a second upper bite pad portion removably disposed upon the upper surface of the handle at the floss holder end of the handle, the second upper bite pad portion including a floss holder lock portion adapted to engage with a floss holder retainer assembly positioned at the floss holder end of the handle to retain the floss holder in an operable position; and 
 a lower bite pad disposed upon the lower surface of the handle at the floss holder end of the handle. 
 
     
     
       17. The dental flossing device according to  claim 14 , wherein the floss holder and the dental floss are adapted for disposal after a single use. 
     
     
       18. The dental flossing device according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a slide receptacle disposed on the handle; and 
 a slide disposed within the slide receptacle, the slide being attached to the flexible member, the flexible member being in communication with the floss holder, selective movement of the flexible member by the slide selectively reciprocating movement of the floss holder relative to the floss holder end of the handle. 
 
     
     
       19. The dental flossing device according to  claim 18 , wherein
 the slide receptacle has opposed pairs of first and second lateral shoulders, 
 a slide pin receptacle is respectively disposed between each corresponding pair of opposed first and second lateral shoulders of the slide receptacle, the first and second lateral shoulders and the slide pin receptacles defining slide limit stops, and 
 the slide has opposed lateral pins selectively retracting therein and extending therefrom, the opposed lateral pins when selectively engaging the respective slide pin receptacles correspondingly limit a range of travel of the slide in the slide receptacle.